The Ribble Way is a 73-mile long-distance footpath following the River Ribble from its source in the Yorkshire Dales to the sea at Lytham. Clitheroe is roughly at the halfway point and makes a natural base for day walks along the river in either direction. The stretch north of Clitheroe toward Sawley and Bolton-by-Bowland passes through some of the most unspoiled pastoral countryside in Lancashire.
From Clitheroe, the Edisford Bridge section (about 2 miles to the west) is an easy walk with views of the river and the Ribble Valley. The Sawley section (5 miles north) passes Sawley Abbey, a ruined Cistercian monastery dissolved under Henry VIII. The full long-distance route attracts dedicated walkers from across Britain, but the day sections are well within reach of anyone based in Clitheroe.